Westchester Reporter

Principal Jeff Olender’s morning announcement, which was being projected through the loudspeaker, had not even finished when a collective “yeah” from students could be heard throughout the Carl L. Dixson Primary School.

 What could get students so excited first thing in the morning?

The school was celebrating its 100th day!

 A few minutes later, kindergarten students filed into the gym where they were about to enjoy some 100-day fun.

 “One-hundred is a very special number,” Mr. Olender told students when they met in person.

 “When I say one, you say hundred,” said math specialist Andrea Cleveland, as she and the students shouted back and forth.

 To get the party started, physical education teacher Kevin Tiernan virtually led students in a series of exercises, doing 10 reps of different workouts until the students reached 100. They giggled as they squatted and made their way through a series of jumping jacks and touching their toes.

 Then it was time for the students to get busy working with 100.

 Ms. Cleveland gave them instructions to work in groups of four and to build with the 100 items they found in a bag.

 “We want to see you having fun with each other and with 100,” she said.

 Using small blocks, popsicle sticks, colorful cubes and tall red plastic cups, students built towers, strings of items and clipped 100 blocks together.

 When it was the first graders turn, Mr. Olender led the large group in counting by tens until they reached 100 before they began to build with their 100 objects.

 “I was building a tower,” Gilvanna Signor said, adding that her class counted to 100 by two’s, something she said was tough.

 “Because it was really great,” Caleb Willis said of what he liked about building with 100 items.

 “Kiss your beautiful brains, mwah,” Ms. Cleveland said blowing a kiss to the crowd as the first graders finished their structures. She expressed how proud she was for the older students who had learned to count to 100 by twos and by fives.

Original source can be found here.